JP2003144480A - Appliance for inserting lens in eye - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an appliance for inserting a lens in an eye being operable by a single hand and capable of precisely guiding a piston. SOLUTION: This appliance for inserting the lens in the eye is provided with a grip body 1 having a lens receiver part 13 for receiving the lens and the piston 2 movable in the grip body 1 for guiding and inserting the lens in the eye. The grip body 1 is disposed with a ball bearing bush 3 in its inside and the piston 2 is laterally movably supported in the ball bearing bush 3. This constitution allows this appliance to be operated by a single hand, provides a favorable sliding characteristics in that occasion, and enables the piston to perform a constantly guided lateral or rotating movement.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The invention relates to a device for inserting a lens into the eye according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002]

2. Description of the Prior Art In ophthalmic surgery, the original opaque eye lens is replaced by an artificial lens. In this procedure, the patient's cloudy lens is first removed. The surgeon then uses two forceps to insert the artificial lens into the eye. The first tweezers are then used for folding the lens and the second tweezers for inserting the lens. This requires very good skill and great skill for the surgeon in guiding the two tweezers.

A certain guide for inserting an artificial lens
The so-called injector makes it possible. This device for inserting a lens into the eye basically consists of a grip body and a piston that can be moved by a screw in the grip body. In the front area of the grip body there is a lens receiving part into which the lens to be inserted is fitted. Due to the rotation of the piston, this lens can be pushed out through the opening in front of the lens receptacle, in which case the lens is folded. Further forward movement causes the lens to be brought into the eye in the folded state. The screw then allows a precise guide of the piston. However, disadvantageously, the surgeon needs both hands to rotate the piston. Furthermore, holding the injector straight during rotation is relatively difficult.

EP-A-0477766 further discloses a motorized injector. In the grip body, there is a short push rod for guiding and inserting the lens,
The push bar is then operatively connected to a manipulator, which is likewise arranged in the grip body. The manipulator has a rotary drive in the form of a DC voltage micromotor. The movement of the motor is transmitted to the push rod as a linear movement via the spindle-nut-transmission. The push rod is then guided axially in the front region of the grip body via small ball bearings. However, particularly skilled surgeons prefer hand-operable surgical instruments because the insertion of the lens requires very delicate contact.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is therefore that of an eye of the type mentioned at the outset, which can be operated manually and with one hand, nevertheless allowing a precise guidance of the piston. It is to provide a device for inserting a lens therein.

This problem is solved by an apparatus having the features of claim 1.

According to the invention, the piston is movably supported laterally in the ball bearing bush.
This allows the manual injector to be operated with one hand. In order to manually move the piston, as in the case of the syringe, only the piston has to be pressed.
Due to the support in the ball bearing bushes, the piston has better sliding properties, which further allows a uniform advance of the piston and a uniform insertion of the lens. The arrangement of the ball bearing bushing at the rear end of the grip body opposite the lens receiving part avoids leverage in the area of the guide and ensures optimum weight distribution.

A precise guide of the piston is ensured by a guide groove mounted in the piston, into which a guide element arranged in the grip body engages.

In the first embodiment, the guide groove is
The piston is linearly configured so that it can be guided and moved linearly.

In the second embodiment, the guide groove is
It has a helix so that the piston can be further guided and rotated as it moves. This rotation at the end of the insertion movement allows the lens to be deployed in the eye since the helix is located in the posterior region of the piston.

Further advantageous embodiments emerge from the dependent claims.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The concept of the present invention will be described below based on the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2, an injector according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shown. that is,
It includes a grip body 1 in which a piston 2 is movably supported. Grip body 1 and piston 2,
It is preferably made of metal, especially titanium.

The grip body 1 has a sleeve 10 whose rear end is closed by a sealing cap 4. At its front end, the sleeve 10 has transitioned to the grip front 11. In the example shown here, the grip front 1
Reference numeral 1 is a separate component screwed to the sleeve 10 via the first screw 17.

The grip front portion 11 has a lens receiving portion 13 for receiving an artificial lens at an end portion on the side opposite to the front sleeve 10 thereof. Behind the lens receiving part 13, the grip front part 11 has an introduction window 12 which extends in the longitudinal direction and is open, through which the lens is introduced into the lens receiving part 13. The lens receiving part 13 has a through opening 13 'at its front end, through which the lens is pushed. As can be seen in FIG. 3, a window 13 ″ can be provided in the lens receiving part 13 for checking the position of the inserted lens.

The sleeve 10 preferably has a closed jacket. A ball bearing bush 3 is arranged in the rear region of the sleeve 10. The ball bearing bush 3 is surrounded by a sleeve 10 and a sealing cap 4 screwed by a second screw 18.
The ball bearing bush 3 is fixed in position with respect to the sleeve 10 in this embodiment. This is because, for example, the sealing cap 4 has the ball bearing bush 3
This can be achieved by not having a circular cross-section as opposed to. In another modification, a wart-shaped projection is arranged as an anti-twist device on the outermost jacket of the ball bearing bush 3.

The ball bearing bush 3 has a defined outer diameter. For this purpose, it preferably has, for this purpose, a metal bridge which is cast in the jacket and projects on the jacket surface and extends longitudinally. Thereby, the ball bearing bush 3 can also be manufactured from plastic.
The ball bearing bush 3 preferably has a number of longitudinally extending ball bearings. It has been found that four ball bearing tracks, which are evenly distributed over their inner circumference and which extend at least approximately over the entire length of the ball bearing bushing 3, are effective.

The closure cap 4 has at its front end a protruding and circulating flange 41, which is used as a finger stop for the surgeon's finger, preferably the index or middle finger, as in the case of a syringe. At the other end, the sealing cap 4 is closed up to the through opening 40. A second flange 5, which is preferably used as a front stop for the surgeon's fingers, is arranged or formed on the sleeve 10. The second flange 5 is a separate element releasably fixable to and movable along the sleeve 10 via a locking screw 50, as shown here, The spacing between and and the second flange may be adapted to the thickness of the surgeon's fingers.

The piston 2 penetrates the sleeve 10, and its rear end projects from the through opening of the sealing cap 4.
The piston 2 is basically composed of a rear piston head 23, a piston intermediate portion 20, a piston needle 21, and a piston tip 22. Piston needle 21
Is preferably releasably connected to the piston middle part 20 so that a new needle can be used, preferably depending on the type of lens. Furthermore, it can be used as a disposable needle. A piston tip 22 is attached to or integrally formed with the tip of the needle 21. The shape also changes depending on the type of lens. The piston head 23 forms the rear end of the piston 2. It is connected to the finger ring 24. Piston head 23
Is used as a surface for the thumb to be pressed by the surgeon to push the piston 2 with one hand and laterally forward in the sleeve 10. The finger ring 24 allows the thumb 2 to pull the piston 2 back without the position of the finger holding the injector having to be changed. When the piston 2 is pushed forward, the artificial lens in the lens receiving part 13 is folded and pushed forward from the injector, at an accurately measurable pressure and in the guided direction. Inserted inside. In Fig. 1, the injector after the insertion of the lens is the piston 2 pushed out.
Is shown along with.

The ball bearings of the ball bearing bushes 3 allow the frictionless movement of the piston. As a guide means, the piston 2 has a linearly extending guide groove 25, which extends at least over the entire travel section of the piston 2. In the example shown here, it extends the full length of the piston middle part 20. Inside the ball bearing bush 3, a guide element 6 here in the form of a metal ball is arranged, which is pressed into engagement in the guide groove 25 and prevents rotation of the piston 2 during forward movement. To do. The guide element 6 is
It can also be arranged on the outside of the ball bearing bush 3, which is at least spring-biased in this case. Such a guide element 6 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In order to avoid the impact pressure on the piston 2 and the restraining reaction force, the sleeve 10 further comprises the piston 2.
It has at least one release chamber 14 to reduce the pressure of the compressed air during its movement.

3 and 4 show an injector according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The same part is shown in Figure 1.
And they are provided with the same reference numerals as in FIG. 2 so that they will not be dealt with in more detail. In contrast to the first embodiment, the piston 2 has a guide groove 25 with a helix 25 'at its rear end. The guide element 6 is again engaged in the guide groove 25. Piston 2, spiral groove 2
When the piston 2 moves forward to the extent of shifting to 5 ', the piston 2
It is guided and rotated. To ensure further support, in this embodiment the ball bearing bushing 3 is not fixed in position and is rotatably arranged on the sleeve 10 so that it rotates with the piston 2.

In the embodiment shown here, the grip front 11 rotates with the piston 2. For this purpose, between the grip front part 11 and the sleeve 10 there is a grip middle part 15, which is connected to the sleeve 10 via a third screw 18. Grip front 11
Between the grip intermediate portion 15 and the grip intermediate portion 15, the first thrust bearing 8 is provided between the grip intermediate portion 15 and the sleeve 10.
A second thrust bearing 9 is arranged. At that time, the position of the second thrust bearing 9 is held by the nut 16.

A drive member 7 is arranged on the grip front portion 11. It is constructed in the same way as the spring-biased guide element 6, likewise the guide groove 25 of the piston 2.
Engage in. When the piston 2 is rotated by the helix 25 ′, the grip front part 11 rotates together due to the connection via the drive member 7. This rotation at the end of lens insertion simplifies lens deployment and placement within the eye.

If only the piston 2 is rotated, but the grip front 11 is not, it is also possible to provide the piston with a second helix. At that time, the second spiral is
It must have the same spacing as the guide element 6 to the drive member 7. Furthermore, the length of the piston 2 is selected such that the second helix is located in front of the first guide element 6 in the withdrawn basic position of the piston 2, which means before the start of the forward movement. .

[0026]

The device according to the invention allows one-handed operation, the device having better sliding characteristics, which allows a constantly guided lateral or rotated movement of the piston. To do.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an injector according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the injector of FIG.

FIG. 3 shows an injector according to a second embodiment of the invention.

4 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the injector of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 grip body 10 sleeve 11 Grip front 12 insertion window 13 Lens receptor 13 'through opening 13 '' window 14 Liberation room 15 Grip middle part 16 nuts 17 First screw 18 second screw 19 Third screw 2 pistons 20 Middle part of piston 21 Piston needle 22 Piston tip 23 Piston head 24 ring 25 guide groove 25 'spiral 3 ball bearing bushes 4 Sealing cap 40 through opening 41 First flange 5 Second flange 50 fixing screws 6 guide elements 7 Drive member 8 First thrust bearing 9 Second thrust bearing

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A grip body (1) with a lens receiving portion (13) for receiving a lens and a manual movement within the grip body (1) for guiding and inserting the lens into the eye. In a device for inserting a lens into the eye with a possible piston (2), a ball bearing bush (3) in the grip body (1)
And a piston (2) is movably supported in the ball bearing bush (3) in a lateral direction such that the ball bearing bush (3) is arranged behind the grip body (1). Device arranged at the end opposite the part (13). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the ball bearing bushes (3) are fixedly arranged in the grip body (1). 3. A grip body (1) with a lens receiving part (13) for receiving a lens and manual movement within the grip body (1) for guiding and inserting the lens into the eye. In a device for inserting a lens into the eye with a possible piston (2), a ball bearing bush (3) in the grip body (1)
And a piston (2) is laterally movably supported in the ball bearing bush (3), the piston (2) having a guide groove (25), Device, characterized in that a guide element (6) arranged in the grip body (1) is engaged. 4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the guide element (6) is arranged in the ball bearing bush (3). 5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the ball bearing bushes (3) are arranged in fixed position in the grip body (1). 6. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the guide groove (25) extends linearly. 7. The guide groove (25) has a helix (25 ′) at least in the rear region of the piston (2) so that the piston (2) can be guided and rotated. The apparatus of claim 3 characterized. 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the helix (25 ') is arranged in the rear region of the piston (2). 9. The grip body (1) comprises a sleeve (10).
And the sleeve (10) through the thrust bearings (8, 9)
A grip front (11) connected to the guide groove (25) such that the grip front (11) is guided and rotatable with the piston (2) in the grip front (11). 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that there is arranged a drive member (7) which engages in the (). 10. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the ball bearing bush (3) is rotatably arranged in the grip body (1) and is guided and rotatable with the piston (2). .